Burglaries in Geismar subdivision prompt neighbors to use app

GEISMAR – Burglars hit one Geismar neighborhood recently and residents are fighting back by getting the word out to neighbors through an app.

One homeowner, who wished not to be identified, said someone tried to break into her home recently.

"Just banging on the door. Me and my kids were really scared," she said. I asked my neighbor and they said, yes they were pulling on my door," she said.

The homeowner lives in the Old Mill subdivision in Geismar that is filled with nice-well kept homes. Residents say they have very little crime in the area and were surprised that several guns were stolen in a recent home burglary.

Suspects were spotted trying to commit more break-ins.

"It scared me very much because I'm home alone a lot and I don't like the idea of people going around breaking into houses," Carly Boldand, resident of the neighborhood, said.

The news about the property crimes spread quickly and in the subdivision by smart phones using an app called Nextdoor. Residents post the crimes on the app and neighbors are notified immediately.

"How else would you hear about it? I don't know other than the paper, but it's not going to even get to the paper if someone doesn't report it," resident Jake Lukse said.

According to the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, there have been two break-ins reported in the Old Mill subdivision this month. At this time, no suspects have been identified.